"For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts"
(Isa. 55:9).
Of the four world kingdoms, prob-
ably that of Medo-Persia was the
most responsive to the will of God
in carrying out His plan. It was Cyrus
the Persian who was moved by the
ancient prophecies of Isaiah to per-
mit the Jewish exiles to return to
their homeland, and to furnish the
materials for the rebuilding of the
temple. Darius I and Artaxerxes I
likewise favored God's people with
special decrees that led to the resto-
ration of both the temple and state.
On the other hand Satan nearly
caused the death of Daniel through
the self-flattering decree of Darius
the Mede, and the proposed exter-
mination of the nation by the fickle
Ahasuerus (Xerxes).
The dispersion of the Jews caused
by the Assyrian captivity of the
northern kingdom (eighth century
BC) and the Babylonian captivity of
?he southern kingdom (sixth century
BC) continued in the Grecian pe-
riod, as Jews found it easy to move
to many parts of the Hellenized
world. It has been estimated that
the Jews residing within the Roman
Empire alone in the first century AD
numbered approximately 4.5 million
out of a total empire population of
55 million, a million Jews being in
Palestine. Thus, in God's overruling
providence, the Jews were scattered
throughout the empire.
Wherever Jews settled, syna-
gogues were established, ten males
being required to form a congrega-
tion. In the intertestamental years
the Hebrew Scriptures were trans-
lated into Greek. As this language
had become the main means of com-
munication throughout the then
known world, so this version came
to
-
be used among Greek-speaking
Jews in the empire.
Between 50 BC and AD 70 a great
influx of Gentiles crowded the syna-
gogues of the Jews. The old pagan
religions were losing their influence.
There was a deep yearning among
the people to know a better way of
life. That way seemed to be offered
in the Hebrew faith. Some Gentiles
became full proselytes of the faith,
but many thousands simply attended
the services and adopted the Jew-
ish religion in part. Multitudes of
non-Jews thereby came to be ac-
quainted with the Scriptures and
with the true God.
Thus in the intertestamental pe-
riod when the Grecian Empire (and
her divisions) and Rome controlled
the political sphere, God was over-
ruling to prepare the way,for Christ
and Christianity. Every synagogue
provided Christian missionaries
a pulpit for at least one presentation
of Christ! The Scriptures were known
to many Gentiles before the apos-
tles came preaching. The result was
that many of the Gentiles who at-
tended the synagogue responded to
the Christian mission with
.
alacrity.
A church was born within the em-
pire, overnight as it were;:and for
about thirty years was shielded
somewhat from Roman interference
by the legal umbrella of Judaism.
The darkness of the intertestamental
period was preparation time for a
new dawn.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
God Protects (Dan. 2:32, 39; 7:5)
2.
God Provides (Ezra 4:4, 5)
3.
God Overrules (Esther 4:14)
4.
Decrees and Prophets (Ezra 6:14)
5.
Preparation for the First Advent
(Dan. 2:39; 7:6)
6.
Rome and God's People (Dan.
2:40; 7:7)